Follow Us on Google
By Lukman Olabiyi
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has called on members of the House of Representatives to allow state governors and other critical stakeholders have proper inputs in the Electricity Bill 2022.
Governor Sanwo-Olu made the call at the official handover ceremony of the Lagos State Integrated Resource Plan in conjunction with USAID and Power Africa Initiative as part of Nigeria Power sector programme.
He urged the House of Rep
to engage subnational and the private sector to resolve knotty issues in the bill.
Sanwo-Olu disclosed that the initiative was a 20 years partnership that would transform the power deficiencies in Africa while noting that technical report which identifies stakeholders would be analysed and worked upon to bring about the desired change to the lives of the people.
Earlier, the state Commissioner for Energy, Olalere Odusote, hinted that the plan was aimed at identifying infrastructure requirements and gaps as well as investments need in the electricity sector.
The Consul -General, United States Consulate in Lagos, Williams Stevens described electricity as the basis of economic growth, Trade and investments and the United States government is excited to partner with Lagos State.
The Senate had on Wednesday, July 20, 2022 passed the Electricity Bill, 2022 which sought to repeal the Electricity and Power Sector Reform Act, 2005 and enact the Electricity Act.
It consolidates all legislations dealing with the electricity supply industry to provide an omnibus and ideal Institutional framework to guide the post-privatization phase of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry and encourage private sector investments in the sector.
The primary aim of the bill, as stated in its very first section, is to create a comprehensive legal and institutional framework to guide the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI). It de-monopolises the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity at the National level, to empower States, companies and individuals to generate, transmit and distribute electricity. States would also be able to issue licenses to private investors who have the ability to operate mini-grids and power plants within the State, but such State licenses are not to extend to inter-state or transnational distribution of electricity.
